Playground

Samuel Chartier Wins MSPT Canadian Poker Championship Main Event

Photo: Samuel Chartier

The second MSPT Canadian Poker Championship saw 90 players return to the felt on the final day from an 809-entry field, all of whom were guaranteed a piece of the $1,000,000 prize pool.

Samuel Chartier started the day as one of the smaller stacks, but he more than made up for it with experience, with over $3,000,000 in live tournament earnings over the last two decades. He put that experience to good use, winning the event outright for $175,000, his largest career cash on Canadian soil.

Day 2 Action

Early in the day, several notable Playground regulars fell short of the money. Among them were Senthuran Vijayaratnam (66^th - $3,250), Rami Hammoud (61^st - $3,500) and David Guay (45^th - $4,500). Griffin Benger was among the big stacks for much of the day, but fell just short of the final table after running his ace-king into Alec Branstatter’s pocket aces to bow out in 11^th place for $14,500.

Final Table

Brandstatter started the final table with the chip lead following Benger’s elimination, but he was quickly overtaken by Mohamed Kechiche after the two big stacks tangled in a pot that saw Kechiche get Brandstatter to fold the river. Pascal Gregoire, who started the day second in chips, was first to fall from the final table after making a move with ace-eight only to run into Adil Morkos’ pocket aces. Next out were Nassim-Loif Hafici and Pierre-Paul Paulin, both of whom fell to Yanis Philippe Mouddakir, who was quickly establishing himself as one of the big stacks at the final table.

Elie Kortbawi was next to go in seventh before Brandstatter and Kechiche tangled in another big pot. Both players held top pair on an ace-high board, but Kechiche rivered a wheel straight and put Brandstatter to the test on the river. Brandstatter couldn’t get away and was out in sixth while Kechiche established what seemed at the time to be a runaway lead over the rest of the final table.

Kechiche’s momentum was stopped in its tracks by Mouddakir, who pulled off a gutsy bluff, getting Kechiche to fold trips in a huge pot. Mouddakir eliminated Anas Slaoui in fifth soon after to take the chip lead himself, but it was short-lived. Adil Morkos won a flip to double through the new chip leader, bringing the four remaining players close to even in chips. Soon after, Mouddakir attempted another bluff, but this time Chartier picked him off with trips to send him out in fourth and take the chip lead for the first time since the final table began.

Once Chartier took the lead with three players remaining, he never looked back. He got involved in a big pot with Kechiche, holding top pair against Kechiche’s open-ended straight draw. Chartier’s hand held up to eliminate Kechiche in third and go into heads-up with roughly a 2:1 lead over Adil Morkos. Morkos had done a great job laddering up to this point, but Chartier’s lead proved insurmountable. In the final hand, Morkos got it in as a slight favorite with pocket sevens to Chartier’s ace-jack, but a jack on the turn sealed the win for Chartier, while Morkos had to settle for second place. Morkos took home $124,000 for the runner-up finish, while Chartier took $175,000, the trophy, and the title.

Adil Morkos Eliminated in 2nd Place ($124,000)

Photo: Adil Morkos

Adil Morkos limped in from the button, Samuel Chartier shoved from the big blind with a covering stack, and Morkos called all-in for around 7,500,000.

Adil Morkos:
Samuel Chartier:

Morkos’ sevens were ahead on the flop, but the turn gave Chartier a higher pair, leaving Morkos drawing to two outs. The river was a blank, and Chartier won the final hand of the night while Morkos was eliminated in second place.

Samuel Chartier - 32,360,000
Adil Morkos - eliminated

Mohamed Kechiche Eliminated in 3rd Place ($80,150)

Photo: Mohamed Kechiche

With the board reading and around 2,000,000 in the middle, Samuel Chartier checked from the big blind, and Mohamed Kechiche bet 500,000 on the button. Chartier check-raised to 1,500,000, Kechiche shoved for around 5,000,000, and Chartier called with a covering stack.

Mohamed Kechiche:
Samuel Chartier:

Chartier was ahead with top pair, while Kechiche had an overcard and an open-ended straight draw. Kechiche took the lead with a higher pair on the turn, but the river gave Chartier two pair to eliminate Kechiche in third place.

Samuel Chartier - 21,300,000
Mohamed Kechiche - eliminated

Yanis Philippe Mouddakir Eliminated in 4th Place ($58,000)

Photo: Yanis Philippe Mouddakir

On a board reading with around 2,000,000 in the middle, Samuel Chartier bet 900,000 from the small blind, and Yanis Philippe Mouddakir shoved for 5,700,000 from the big blind. Chartier called with a covering stack, putting him at risk.

Mouddakir could only show , having turned his small two pair into a bluff. Chartier had for trips to send him to the rail in fourth place.

Samuel Chartier - 16,500,000
Yanis Philippe Mouddakir - eliminated

Morkos Doubles Through the Chip Leader

Yanis Philippe Mouddakir opened to 700,000 from the button, and Adil Morkos shoved for 4,475,000 from the big blind. Mouddakir called with a covering stack.

Adil Morkos:
Yanis Philippe Mouddakir:

The board ran out , giving Morkos top two pair for the double.

Adil Morkos - 9,200,000
Yanis Philippe Mouddakir - 9,700,000
Samuel Chartier - 8,000,000
Mohamed Kechiche - 6,100,000

Anas Slaoui Eliminated in 5th Place ($45,000)

Photo: Anas Slaoui

Anas Slaoui shoved for 2,100,000 from under the gun, and Yanis Philippe Mouddakir called from the small blind with a covering stack, putting him at risk.

Anas Slaoui:
Yanis Philippe Mouddakir:

Mouddakir’s kings held up on the runout to end Slaoui’s run in fifth place.

Yanis Philippe Mouddakir - 13,000,000
Anas Slaoui - eliminated in 5th place for $45,000

Kechiche Takes Another Hit

Mohamed Kechiche opened to 500,000 from the cutoff, Samuel Chartier three-bet to 1,600,000 from the big blind, and Kechiche called.

Chartier fired an 800,000 bet on the flop and a 1,200,000 bet on the turn with Kechiche calling both times. Both players then checked the river.

Chartier tabled for top two pair, and Kechiche mucked.

Samuel Chartier - 11,000,000
Mohamed Kechiche - 5,500,000

Mouddakir Pulls Off a Gutsy Bluff

Mohamed Kechiche opened from under the gun and Yanis Philippe Mouddakir defended from the big blind.

The flop came . Mouddakir checked, Kechiche bet 255,000, and Mouddakir check-raised to 705,000. Kechiche called.

Mouddakir bet 480,000 on the turn and Kechiche called again. On the river, Mouddakir shoved for 3,435,000, and after taking a couple of minutes, Kechiche folded, showing the from his hand as he did so.

Mouddakir showed that he had , turning his five into a bluff, before taking in the sizable pot.

Yanis Philippe Mouddakir: 6,700,000
Mohamed Kechiche: 10,500,000

Alec Brandstatter Eliminated in 6th place ($36,000)

Photo: Alec Brandstatter

With the board reading in a single-raised pot, Alec Brandstatter checked from the big blind, and Mohamed Kechiche bet 200,000 from under the gun. Brandstatter check-raised to 425,000, and Kechiche called.

Both players checked the turn, leading to the river. Brandstatter bet 2,000,000, leaving around 2,500,000 behind.Kechiche moved all-in with a covering stack, and Brandstatter called after thinking for a couple of minutes.

Kechiche turned over for a wheel straight. Brandstatter could only show for top pair before exiting the tournament in sixth place.

Mohamed Kechiche - 11,800,000
Alec Brandstatter - eliminated

Elie Kortbawi Eliminated in 7th place ($28,000)

Photo: Elie Kortbawi

On a board reading with a little over 1,000,000 in the middle, Adil Morkos shoved from the big blind, covering Elie Kortbawi, who had around 1,500,000 in early position. Kortbawi called.

Kortbawi showed , but Morkos had him beat with for a bigger boat, sending him to the rail.

Adil Morkos - 6,400,000
Elie Kortbawi - eliminated in 7th place for $28,000